Nokia Threat Intelligence Report

The Nokia Threat Intelligence Report examines the trends for malware infections in devices connected through mobile and fixed networks. The key findings are summarized below.

Mobile Networks

The overall monthly smart phone infection rate averaged 0.90 percent in the second half of 2016. This is up 83 percent from the first half of 2016. Smart phone infections accounted for 85 percent of infections detected in mobile networks.

The infection rate in mobile networks rose steadily throughout 2016, reaching a new high of 1.35 percent of devices in the month of October. Android continues to be the main mobile platform targeted with 81 percent of all smartphone infections.

Windows/PC systems connected to the mobile network using dongles or tethered through phones accounted for 15 percent of the infections. I-phones accounted for 4 percent of the infections.

Fixed Residential Networks

Residential infection rates dropped throughout 2015. There was an upward trend in the first half of 2016 due to a resurgence in moderate threat level adware activity. This, however, dropped off in the second half of 2016 and the downward trend in moderate threat level adware activity continued.

The overall residential infection rate dropped to nine percent in December 2016. The infection rate for high threat level malware such as bots, rootkits, keyloggers, ransomware, and banking Trojans has remained stable at about six percent for some time, and closed out the year at 4.56 percent in December.

This downward trend in the residential infection rates, combined with the upward movement in mobile networks, strongly suggests an overall movement of cybercrime activity to the mobile environment.

Conclusion

The infection rate in mobile networks rose steadily throughout 2016, reaching a new high of 1.35 percent of devices in the month of October. The overall monthly infection rate averaged 1.08 percent in the second half of 2016. This is up 63 percent from the first half of 2016.

In addition, smart phone infections accounted for 85 percent of the infections detected in the mobile network and the overall monthly smart phone infection rate averaged 0.90 percent, representing an 83 percent increase over the first half of 2016.

From these trends, Nokia says that cybercrime is moving to the mobile space and that smart phones are becoming the target of choice. To read the full Nokia Threat Intelligence Report, click onthis web page.